7.26.2011

bp's science: an apple in a bush a day (v.1)

apple core in hand, [enjoying the cherry blossoms, spring 2010]

This past weekend as we were out at a park, I ate ate an apple and threw the core in the bushes.

Are you surprised/shocked that I did that? If so, I'm sorry, because I do it all of the time. I grew up throwing my apple cores out of the car window while riding 70 mph up Parley's. A bush is no big deal.

When Jess was finished with his apple this weekend, I offered to throw his in the bushes. He hesitated, "What if everyone threw their core in the bushes?" I paused . . . he had a point. If everyone did it, there would be piles and piles of apples in the bushes. But then I looked around, I couldn't find anyone at the park eating apples. I saw lots of pizza boxes and juice pouches and crackers, but no apples. Plus --and here's where this post gets semi-scientific-- it only takes an apple 20 days to biodegrade. You got that right, 20 days.

Now if I had thrown a plastic bottle (100 years to biodegrade) or a glass jar (4000 years) in the bushes, then that's when this gets serious. However, come August 13th, that apple will be gone.

And with that great argument for throwing apple cores in the bushes, I may just start throwing them off our umpteenth floor balcony window. Nah, of course not, there are some times when apples belong in the trash (or in one of these).